DIY Spray Paint Tales

I saw a tail last week in a pile of carpet samples… and I screamed (think Carrie but not quite The Exorcist). The long brown tail initially disappeared and then re-emerged, whipping in an endless circular loop below me revealing the official origin of said tail. A real mouse tale. The whole incident confirmed I have an odd fear of tiny rodents. Maybe if the mouse had jumped into a Matchbox car and driven off into the sunset…

I adore the children’s books starring characters like the clever Stuart Little or the lovely and graceful Angelina Ballerina. Perhaps my favorite children’s book is Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond’s award-winning, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Where exactly I am going with this? Well, if you give an eager creative a can of spray paint…

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The neighbors presented me with a heavy metal chair covered in Sharpie flowers (this might sound “cute” but let’s be honest, it was so “not”). They dared me to give it a new look and find a good home for it.

Carrying forward last year’s obsession with key lime & aqua paint, I added a few stripes and found a home for the chair at the end of pier.

Which reminded me that I should paint more flower pots with this paint combination of joy!

I then kicked the painting up a notch, updating another planter.

Oh my gourd, I used a circular attachment for my drill to convert the gourd below to a home for birds.

And then I found a can of flat black paint which reminded me I need to update a desk for my studio. After painting the legs black, I added a coat of white to the desktop. My family suggested I stop right there. But I didn’t.

Don’t you love how this story ends?

The desktop is covered with striped issue paper (source Target). After brushing a thin layer of Mod Podge to the desktop, I attached each sheet of tissue paper. The tissue paper is very forgiving and easily adheres to the edges and sides. Add an additional coat or two of Mod Podge to the top of the tissue paper layer. It seals the deal.

In case you are interested in applying stripes to your flowerpots, simply apply a base coat of paint and allow drying time according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Once dry, add painter’s tape to segment off the stripes and then apply a second color of paint. When dry, remove the tape and admire your creativity. I love Rust-Oleum: especially the cans of Key Lime and Aqua.

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I hope you are inspired to go paint something! Listen to this song: “Afraid of Ghosts” by Butch Walker (my current title twist, “Afraid of Mice”). I am going to go hide my spray paint and bake. Cookies of course.